Below, aspects of the invention are described with reference to affixing objects in a cabin of a passenger aircraft. However, the concrete description of the invention is to be interpreted only as showing exemplary embodiments. The aspects of the invention can be transferred to other fields of use which in whatever manner make it necessary to affix objects to a rail, be it in a vehicle or in stationary premises.
One of the requirements of cabins in passenger aircraft, which requirement may in future assume increased importance, consists of the option of quickly reconfiguring the cabin layout during conventional aircraft operation. This makes it imperative for components to be able to be affixed flexibly at different locations in the cabin, wherein changing the position of, affixing and renewed undoing of respective objects should take place as quickly as possible. To this effect so-called seat rails are in widespread use which extend in the cabin floor within the cabin of the passenger aircraft, and which seat rails make it possible for cabin components to be installed on them. Any type of components can be arranged on the seat rails, not only passenger seats but also larger installations (“monuments”), for example kitchen (“galleys”) or toilets. The components can preferably be displaced along the seat rails and can be affixed at other predetermined locations.
Such solutions for fastening monuments to seat rails are based on threaded inserts that are placed into a seat rail and at the desired position are screwed to the respective monument. In this arrangement, tolerance compensation in the floor plane takes place by means of a double cam, while tolerances in height can be compensated for by way of washers or shims or a threaded bush, as, for example, proposed in DE 102004012262 A1 or US 20070063101 A1.
A particular disadvantage associated with the known solutions for installing monuments within a cabin relates, in particular, to the fact that installation and deinstallation are very time consuming. Furthermore, loose individual components, which are therefore easy to lose, are used. Moreover, for affixing or undoing respective objects to or from a rail, installation without the use of tools is not possible. Furthermore, with known devices it is not possible to move monuments to a new position by displacing them in the seat rail, i.e. without lifting them out of the seat rail.
Accordingly, it can be considered to be an object of the invention to propose an apparatus for affixing an object to a rail, which apparatus at least lessens some of the above-mentioned disadvantages or eliminates them altogether. In particular, it could be an object of the invention to propose such apparatus in which installing and deinstalling an object on or from a rail is made possible without the use of tools. It could be considered to be a further object of the invention to create such apparatus by means of which the object to be installed can be displaced along the rail.